The problem of collecting litter and debris scattered on beaches is just as severe as in virtually all public locations, perhaps more so as bathers and sunbathers generally carry lunches and beverages to the beach and/or have access to snack bars which proliferate adjacent public beaches. The fact that for a variety of reasons this litter often becomes buried under a layer of sand complicates the problem of collection, and renders manual cleaning all the more costly.
Prior art devices designed for removing debris from beaches are generally self-propelled and relatively complex with the corresponding increase in cost. Illustrative of such devices are the beach cleaning vehicles of U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,596,717 granted to Valdemar Knudsen on Aug. 3, 1971 and U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,621,919 granted to Rudolph Olson on Nov. 23, 1971.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel beach cleaning apparatus which is easily and relatively inexpensively manufactured and durable in operation.
It is also an object to provide such an apparatus wherein the elements which undergo the most wear are readily interchangeable.
Another object is to provide such an apparatus wherein the ground engaging member is automatically uncoupled from the drive vehicle upon contacting a massive or relatively immovable object.